Gaseous discharge lamp apparatus



March so, 1937. WI FO RSTE 2,075,606

I GASEOU S DISCHARGE LAMP APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1935 al as BLUE r-fi 8I INVENTOR.

M. +350 WILLIAM'FOERSTE f 44 v 46) &

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 30, 1937* l PATENT OFFICE GASEOUS DISCHARGE LAMP APPARATUSWilliam Foerste, Pelham Manor, N. Y., assignor,

by direct and mesne Properties, Inc., New of New York assignments, toPackard York, N. Y., a corporation .ApplicationJanuary 4, 1935, SerialNo. 407

3 Claims.

The invention relates to gaseous discharge lamp apparatus, and moreparticularly to such as is .utilized for display or advertising purposesin color.

It is a well known fact that a flashing ("on 5 and "off) sign attractsgreater attention than a sign of the non-flashing type; but generally,the former type, when designed to convey a message, is difficult toread, especially where long names, words, or several lines of words are.

involved. For this reason, it is often the practice to omit the flashingof the message portion or name and to flash only a border for the sameto attract attention. However, this tends to detract attention from themessage.

Itis an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of thisnature wherein the intensity of illumination, for example, the colordisplayed, may be varied through a succession of flashings, without,however, interrupting visibly the illumination. By this expedient, theattention-drawing characteristic of a flashing display is retained withthe added advantage of the ease of reading a constantly illuminateddesign as the lamp has the appearance of not being extinguished butmerely blending from one color into another or one shade of color intoanother.

This latter effect does not detract from the ease of reading and reallyadds to the attentiondrawing power of the display.

A further object of the invention resides in the novel arrangement ofthe apparatus whereby the same is efiective also when viewed at anangle; and in which case there is afforded, moreover, an animated ormotion effect. This is not possible with the ordinary type of displayconstructed of gaseous discharge lamps.

Another object of the invention resides in the novel arrangement ofcontrol whereby operation from a single transformer is possible; andwhereby, when operation with multiple transformer is necessary forlonger display, simultaneous illumination is had of all of the componentsections for a particular color.

In carrying out the invention, a plurality of banks of gaseous dischargelamps is provided for intermittent energization and successively fromthe secondary or corresponding secondaries of a transformer ortransformers, the energization being effected through a suitable controlmeans. The transformer, or transformers, for this purpose is of the typehaving the characteristics of a practically constant current supplysuch, for example, as the well-known high magnetic leak- 55 age type oftransformer commonly employed with gaseous discharge lamps. Or, if astandard substantially constant voltage type of transformer be utilized,the drop in potential resulting from the IR loss in the secondary and/orinthe associated electromagnetic control means would provide sufficientvariation of voltage in the lamp circuits. These lamp banks are ofidentical design for display of the desired subject matter and comprisethe usual gas-filled tubes in which the portions not desired forillumination are painted out; and in the present arrangement, the onebank is juxtaposed to the other so that the luminous portion of arearwardly disposed tube or tubes will be visible through the foremostone. By introducing diiferent gases in the different banks of tubes, adifferent color will be displayed therein when the corresponding tube isenergized, the respective tube banks being designed for operation atdifferent ionization voltages. This results, when the apparatus isviewed from the front, in a succession of the different colors beingdisplayed by the apparatus; and, furthermore, due to persistence ofvision, inter-' mediate colors or blends will also be noted.Furthermore, when the apparatus is viewed from the side, say at an angleof 45, the successive luminosity of the different tube banks will givethe appearance of a progression of the 'color resulting in motion oranimated effect, which further enhances the value of the apparatus fordisplay and/or advertising purposes. I

Apparatus of this nature, furthermore, admits of being operated atrelatively high alternations of the color so that a very striking effectmay be had without impairing the legibility ofthe'matter to bedisplayed.

The nature of the invention, however, will best leeunde'rstood whendescribed in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit connections for operatingthe novel lamp apparatus, with the lamp portion shown in perspective. 4

Fig. 2 is an end view of the lamp apparatus.

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating modifications in thedisplay arrangement and the. operating circuits therefor.

Referring to the drawing, more particularly Figs. 1 and 2, a luminousdisplay device is indicated comprising the two banks of gaseousdischarge lamps l0 and II which are juxtaposed, the one bank ll beinglocated immediately behind the bank Ill. These lamps. are of the usualgas-filled glass tubing, the one being visible through the other, inparticular the rearwardly disposed tube bank is constructed, and for thepurpose hereinafter more fully set forth.

Each individual bank is to be operated in the usual manner, as from asource of alternating current supply I2 operating through a transformerwhose secondary I3 is connected in the following manner to the two banksof lamps. A lead I5 common to these two banks extends from one terminalof the secondary I3, while a further lead l6 extends from the otherterminal of said secondary to a pivoted armature I! of anelectromagnetically-actuated control device. This device may be of anywell-known construction; but it is preferred to utilize a device of thenature more particularly set forth in my copending application for U. S.Letters Patent Serial #731,433, filed June 20, 1934.

A device of this nature is adapted to close or to open a circuitat thecontact I8 thereof and is influenced by a pair of electromagnets I9 and20, the former operating to open the circuit and the latter to close thesame. It is preferred, also, to protect these electromagnets against thehigh self-inductance of the circuits by bridging them with highresistances 2| and 22, respectively.

The one electromagnet 20 is connected in series with the secondary I3and the gaseous discharge lamp bank I0 so that upon energization of thesecondary I3 said lamp bank II) will be energized and become luminous.This, however, causes the circuit to be closed at the contact I8 whichplaces the lamp bank II in multiple with the said lamp bank III. Thelatter is designed to have a higher striking voltage than that of thebank I I so that it will become extinguished when the two banks areplaced in multiple, but the bank I I will then respond and becomeluminous.

Current flowing through the lamp bank II flows also through the coil I9operating the control device to open the contact I8 and restores theinitial condition which provides suificient striking voltage foroperating the bank Ill, whereupon the cycle is repeated.

Various ex'pedients may be resorted to to control the rapidity of thechange over from the connected to the same source of alternating current supply 21 and have associated therewith secondaries 28 and 29,respectively, each transsection of the display.

For example, the transformer 25 operates the section of the signcomprising the two juxtaposed lamp banks 30 and 3|, the former designedfor blue and the latter for red; while the other former being adapted tooperate a corresponding section is then provided with its respectivecontrol device 34 and 35 which operate in the manner hereinbeforedescribed to place one of the banks of a section in multiple with theother bank thereof.

It will be appreciated that with such sectional arrangement,synchronization of the associated section elements is necessary in theirenergization so that they may become luminous at the same instant. Thisis effected without mechanically or electrically coupling, connecting orlinking the high-voltage secondaries of the transformers-an expedientwhich is not permissible in practice. As indicated, the plurality oftransformers all have a common primary circuit, but their secondarycircuits feed individual sections of the lamp banks. Thus, to secure thesynchronization, the respective operating electromagnets of the controldevice 34 are connected in series with the corresponding operatingelectromagnets of the control device 35.

Similarly, and as indicated in Fig. 4, the two sections embodying theprimary coils 40 and M,

both connected to the same source of A. C. 42, supply the respectivesections comprising lamp electromagnets of a control device is connectedin series with that of the other device. Thus, the electromagnets 50 and5| controlling the closing of the contacts of control devices 41 and 48operate to energize lamp banks 43, 45. The other lamp banks 44, 46 areindependently energized through actuation of the control contact devices41 and 48 by their respective electromagnets 52 and 53. This simplifiesthe wiring of the circuits, and for most purposes will be adequate.

I claim:

1. In a display sign, a positive column gaseous discharge tube ofpredetermined contour adapted when energized to emit a predeterminedoptical effect, a second positive column gaseous discharge tube ofsubstantially the same contour and adapted when energized to emit adifferent optical effect, means to mount said tubes with their contoursaligned and adjacent, and to be visible from at least two angles, andmeans to alternately energize said tubes whereby when viewed from thefront the contour design continuously is displayed but in varyingoptical effects, and when viewed from the side an animated effect isdisplayed.

2. In a display sign, a positive column gaseous discharge tube ofpredetermined contour adapted when energized to emit a predeterminedcolor, a second positive column gaseous discharge tube of substantiallythe same contour and adapted when energized to emit a different color,means to mount said tubes with their' contours aligned and adjacent, andto be visible from at least one side and front, and means to alternately.energize said tubes whereby when viewed from the front the contourdesign continuously is displayed but in varying colors, and when viewedfrom the side an animated effect is displayed.

3. In a display sign, a positive column gaseous discharge tube ofpredetermined contour adapted when energized to emit a color of oneintensity, a second positive column gaseous discharge tube ofsubstantially the same contour, and adapted when energized to emit thesame color but of when viewed from the front the contour desist!continuously is displayed but in varying intensity of "illumination, andwhen viewed from the side an animated efiect is displayed.

WILLIAM DOERSTE.

